Suction cleaner



March 6, 1934. i- 3, WHITE 1,950,157

SUCT ION CLEANER Filed June 16, 1930 Patented Mar. 6, 1934 PATENT OFF-ICE SUCTION CLEANER am a. White, Canton, Ohio, allignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 16, 1930, Serial No. 461,314

. 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly to new and novel improvements in handle-positioning means for use upon a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention relates to a handle-position-maintaining de vice which resistingly maintains a handle in one of a plurality of positions but aliows unhindered movement of the handle thru certain ranges.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new andnovel handle-position-maintaining construction. It is another object to provide, in a suction cleaner or similar article, means for maintaining the actuating handle in one of a plurality of angular positions between which a range of uninterrupted movement is possible.

It is a further object to provide an improved handle-positioning device for a suction cleaner or similar article of the type adapted to be propelled manually in which the handle is freely 2o movable thru its ordinary working range but is resistingly maintained in one of a plurality of spaced positions outside that range. A still further object is the provision of a handle-positioning device in which the handle is freely movable within the limits of its working range but is resistingly held within the limits thereof. It is still another object to provide a handle-positioning means for a suction cleaner which permits handle movements thru a definite range at each end of which the handle is resistingly held and thru a portion of which the handle is allowed free movement within a range which is defined at each end by resistance to further movement. Other and more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and considering the drawing annexed thereto.

In the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed:

Figure 1 is a partial side view of a modern suction cleaner with certain parts broken away upon the line 1-1 of Figure 2 and disclosing the application of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of the cleaner as shown in Figure 1 with a section of the top of nozzle wall removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the arcuate segment carried by the handle.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the pivoted spring-pressed contact-carrying member.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of the springtensioning means embodied in the present invention.

Figure 6 is a view at right angles to Figure 5 and upon the line 6-6 thereof.

In the drawing in which the same reference character refers to like parts throughout the present invention is shown embodied, in a pre ferred form, in a suction cleaner. The suction cleaner, which is only partially disclosed, in-

cludes a motor 10 mounted upon a main casing 00 11 which includes the nozzle 12 and the fan 1 chamber 13. Inwardly and rearwardly converging vertical walls 14 in casing 11 extend into nozzle 12 forming pockets 15 at the rear cornersthereof which are suitable housings for the front supporting wheels of the cleaner, one of which is indicated by the reference character 16. Pocket 15 upon one side of the nozzle also provides a suitable housing for the positioning means for the handle 17 which is pivoted to the casing 11 at fan chamber 13 immediately adjacent said pocket as indicated at 18.

Fixedly carried by handle 17, and positioned upon the opposite side of pivot 18 therefrom, is

the arcuate segmental member 26. Member 20 7 comprises a face or edge 21 which preferably is a sector of a circle the even contour of which is varied by inset grooves or seats 22 and 23 at substantially the opposite ends thereof, and by a central portion 24 which covers a considerable extent of the face 21. The seats 22 and 23 are positioned at or near the ends of face 21 and,

in the operative relation perform the function of maintaining, in cooperation with the resilient detent to be hereinafter described, the handle 17 at its two extreme positions, forward and rearward. The portion 24 is of such extent and is so positioned on the face 21 that contact is made therein by the detent when the handle is in those positions through which it would pass in the normal cleaning operation of the machine to which it is attached.

The body of segment 20 is provided with an opening 25 which seats upon the pivot 18 of the handle and also with a projecting arm-portion 26 which is secured to the handle 17 at 27 by a suitable rivet or screw.

Positioned in the housing 15 is a wall or bracket 30 which extends between the wall 14 and the rear wall of the nozzle 12. Wall 30 is provided 1 with an offset arm 31 in which is slidably but non-rotatably mounted a headed screw 32 of which enlarged views are shown in Figures 5 and.

6. An adjusting nut 33 is mountedon screw 32 and performs the function of moving said screw relative to arm 31 when it is rotated, there Y being serrations upon its periphery to aid in that operation.

Pivotally mounted on bracket 30 by a pin 35 is the lever 36 which is iolded along its lower edge 1w forming a channel in which is mounted a roller 37 upon a pin 38. At the upper end of lever 36 is an offset arm 39 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the main portion of lever 36 and, when that lever is assembled on the bracket 30, faces the offset arm 31 thereon. "Positioned between the spaced arms 31 and 39 is the coil spring 40 which at all times urges the arm 39 from the stationary arm 31 and so tends .to pivot lever 36 about its pivot point 35. Spring 40 directly contacts the arm 39, which is provided with a raised central portion to prevent displacement, while at its opposite end it seats upon the head of the screw 32 which is also provided with a centrally raised portion which snugly fits within the coil spring.

At its lower end the lever 36 is pressed, by the action of.spring 40, into contact with the face 21 of the segmental portion 20 which extends through the rear wall of the nozzle 12 at the vertical slot provided therein. Contact with face 21 is actually made by the roller 3'7 which is so formed as to snugly enclose the edge of the member and is of such diameter at its point of rolling contact with face 21 that it is adapted to fixedly seat without play within the seats 22 and 23 provided at the extremities of face 21. Displacement of the handle past the points at which roller 37 contacts seats 22 or 23 is prevented by raised portions 22A and 23A on face 21 immediately outside those seats. In the cases of the seats 22 and 23 and also central portion 24 the sides thereof form obtuse angles with the normal surface of the face 21 and so permit the displacement of roller 3'1 therefrom by the exertion of a slight force upon the handle.

In its operation the handle-position-controlling means constructed in accordance with the present invention functions noiselessly and simply. The tension of the spring 40 is so adjusted by the nut 33 that the weight of the handle is insufficient to displace the roller 37 from either of the seats 22 or 23 or past the extremities of the working range 24. However, a slight force exerted by the operator at the handle end is sufllcient to overcome the resistance of the spring and to compress it as the roller passes from one of said seats or the working range to the main level of face 21. The handle is resistingly maintained in any one of the described positions and it is of the greatest convenience that a change of such position can be obtained by the mere exertion of a slight force upon the handle of the machine.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tool and a handle therefor of a handle-control means comprising a pivotally mounted member having a face, spaced seats having sloping sides in said face, a portion in said face providing an elongated seat also having sloping sides, a resiliently-actuated detent in contact with said face and adapted to selectively engage one of said seats to resistingly prevent the pivotal movement of said handle beyond the angular range defined by said seat.

2. In a machine having a body and a handle pivoted about a horizontal axis and subject to the influence of gravity tending to pivot it to a horizontal position, handle-position-controlling means, said means comprising a cooperating arcuate sector and a spring-pressed roller detent mounted for relative movement on said handle and on said body, said sector arranged to present a face to said detent and said face having spaced depressed portions adapted to receive and seat said detent when said handle is in the vertical and in the horizontal positions, and a depressed portion insaid face between said first-mentioned depressed portions of such extent that said handle is permitted a range of movement with said detent positioned therein, characterized by the fact that said detent can be rolled from said firstmentioned portions toward said last-mentioned portion or from either side of said last-mentioned portion by a force exerted upon said handle tending to produce relative movement between said detent and said section and by the further fact that the force required is greater than the force of gravity tending to pivot said handle.

HARRY B. WHITE. [L. 3.1 

